one-upped; one-upping; one-ups
: to practice one-upmanship on
: being in a position of advantage
—usually used with on
Examples of one-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
Mann’s notion for one-upping the first film stemmed from including new emotions Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui that further could upset young teen girl Riley.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 1 May 2025
The two star as CIA agents and best friends who fall for the same woman (the miscast Witherspoon), and who constantly try to one-up and sabotage each other to win her affections.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
Joe Hendry posed and postured after one-upping Orton at every turn.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-up
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Verb
Domestic automakers are vying to one-up each other on tech and value for money — and fighting to capture market share around the world.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
Mann’s notion for one-upping the first film stemmed from including new emotions Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui that further could upset young teen girl Riley.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 1 May 2025
The two star as CIA agents and best friends who fall for the same woman (the miscast Witherspoon), and who constantly try to one-up and sabotage each other to win her affections.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
Joe Hendry posed and postured after one-upping Orton at every turn.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-up
Cite this Entry
“One-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-up. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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